Sansom, a popular two-term county commissioner who rose quickly through the state House ranks after his 2002 election, already faces criminal charges of official misconduct and perjury and could even be expelled from the House before the next legislative session begins.
The criminal charges were brought in Tallahassee by a grand jury convened by Meggs. Grand jurors said Sansom conspired to fund millions in state funds to Northwest Florida State College.
It said $6 million of those funds, budgeted as multi-use educational facility/Emergency Operation Center emergency personnel would actually have gone to construct an airplane hangar for developer and Sansom supporter Jay Odom.
College President Bob Richburg and Odom have been indicted alongside Sansom. The three are scheduled to go to trial Sept. 29.
But state Sen. Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, Sansom’s longtime political friend and ally, said he was astounded to read what Meggs’ records indicate Sansom spent.
“I don’t believe the kind of expenses released by the state attorney in Tallahassee are the kind I’m familiar with in fund raising,” he said. “I’m not familiar with expenses of this magnitude being tied to fund-raising at the state-wide level.”
If you’re a fiscal conservative you need to be trusted with the people’s money,” he said. “And if you’re a party leader you need to be conservative with the money of the people who donate to your political party.”
“The people who dig into their pockets for 25 dollars, or for 500 dollars, are entitled to good stewardship.”
Sansom said he would only discuss particular expenditures, such as the $839 Starbucks bill and trips overseas, “off the record.”
He ended a phone conversation when he was informed the conversation would be recorded and made public.